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What you can do to be more sustainable

Here's some things you can do to live more sustainably.

From giving a little extra consideration to how you dispose of your waste, do your shopping or get around campus, to getting more involved and joining societies or initiatives across campus and the local area, every step you take towards being more sustainable is a positive one.

3. Shop more sustainably

There are many ways you can implement sustainable measures into your shopping routine; from bringing your own bags, to buying local or sustainably labelled products and purchasing items made from recycled materials, or reused goods from second hand stores.

Swap Shop is a Facebook page that allows members to post unwanted items that can be swapped/sold to other students.

Staff members on Slack can join our recycle-chat group

4. Try a student society

We have a variety of student run societies who are always looking for sustainably minded members to join their meetings and events.

Each college also has their own Environment and Ethics Reps, responsible for creating environmental projects in the college, raising environmental issues with university management, overseeing recycling and other green initiatives.

6. Living on campus? Student Switch Off

Student Switch Off is an international campaign encouraging student action on climate change. Its focus is an energy saving, recycling and student engagement competition for those living in our colleges. There's individual competitions throughout the year and Colleges also compete for cash prizes to spend on student-related activity.

Sign up at Fresher's Fair or join the Facebook Page and become a Student Switch Off ambassador

Paid recycling auditor roles are available to help with the programme, giving students work experience and counting towards the York Award

College competitions

Each year, Student Switch Off run an energy saving, recycling and student engagement competition for students living in our colleges.

At the end of the year, colleges that save the most energy, recycle the most and have the highest student engagement wins cash to spend on student-related activity.

There are other prizes you can win throughout the year, hosted on their Facebook Page.

The best way to get involved in Student Switch Off is to sign up at Freshers’ Fair or join the Facebook Page and become a Student Switch Off ambassador.

It is easy to take part by simply saving energy in your college and encouraging your flatmates to do the same!

Here are some examples of things you can do:

Wear warm clothing in winter and turn down your radiator

Turn off lights that aren't in use

Only boil as much water as you need

Put a lid on the saucepan when cooking

And any other activity which reduces the amount of energy you use!

Volunteering opportunities

Student Switch Off also carries out recycling audits in colleges; auditors visit each kitchen and check to see if they are recycling correctly with successful kitchens winning chocolate. It can be a great way to earn some money, gain experience for your CV and help save the environment!

Alternatively, you could become a student switch of ambassador.Taking part in these activities will help to build your skills for the York Award.

8. Join the GreenSTEMS

GreenSTEMS is a sustainable science group open to students, researchers and staff who are interested in sustainability. It's aimed at scientists, from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to social sciences.

GreenSTEMS organises informative and social events for the University of York and the general public, including themed social seminars/mini-conferences, showcasing research by early career scientists in York and beyond. If you’re interested in helping to organise an event or outreach programme, get in touch atgreenstems@york.ac.uk.

9. Do some citizen science

Interested in wildlife? Why not do your bit for citizen science and record your campus wildlife sightings? Be it ducks or ladybirds, plants or lichens, we want to know!

Not only will it help with wildlife conservation on campus, but it could also be used in local and national conservation research and policy-making! Submit your records at opal.sei-international.org.